What is a common breeding practice for increasing genetic diversity in sheep?

Crossbreeding is commonly practiced to enhance genetic diversity in sheep populations. It involves mating different breeds or strains of sheep, which helps introduce new genetic material into the breeding population. This practice can lead to improved traits such as better growth rates, increased disease resistance, enhanced reproductive performance, and overall vigor in the offspring. By mixing different genetic backgrounds, crossbreeding can help reduce the risks of inbreeding depression, which occurs when closely related animals are bred together, potentially leading to a decrease in fitness and health within the flock.

Other practices, such as inbreeding, line breeding, and self-breeding, typically focus on maintaining or enhancing specific traits within a limited genetic pool, which may not contribute positively to genetic diversity.